Roasted Garlic Cannellini Bean Crostinis

This week I am missing my sister something fierce. She lives on The Island, not actually that far away from Vancouver, but some days it really does feel like “overseas.”

With busy, often opposing schedules, it’s difficult to put aside a few days to make the (increasingly expensive) trip across.

Much like with my other good friends who don’t live in Vancouver, sometimes you miss them more when communication is at an all-time high. When you’re texting constantly, the gap seems so small, it’s easy to trick yourself into thinking they can just pop by after work.

Actually, I miss a lot ofmy friends. It’s funny how adulthood spreads us all to the wind. You follow life, you follow opportunities, most of us don’t live in our hometown anymore (including me).

Cape Town. Salt Lake City. Zurich. The Island. The Okanagan. So many of my closest are, in reality, so far away. On the bright side, I have a lot of couches across the world available to surf 🙂

Alas, the show must go on. We will make do by Skyping into each other’s Christmas parties and Snapchatting pictures of ourselves after spilling canapes down our festive party outfits. Isn’t technology wonderful?

I’m not throwing any formal Christmas parties this year, but my family is big on constant grazing during the holiday season. The fridge has already started to fill up with out-of-the-ordinary cheeses, cured meats, dips and the like. The other day I came across a jar of Caramelized Onion & Cranberry Relish and a recipe card for Baked Brie. Just… laying out on the counter. Hint taken.

Of course, it can’t all be rich cheese and sumptuous pâté. Sometimes, you have to switch it up with something that at least tries to be healthy.

These crostinis are vegetarian- nay, vegan– but oh soooo decadent. I mean, decadent in a secretly healthy way. No one has to know something this rich and creamy is actually pretty good for you.

Cannellini beans are a new favourite of mine. They whip up so creamy and fluffy, resulting in a bean dip that is less sturdy than traditional hummus, but a little more refined for a festive treat.

I hate to use the term ‘mouth-feel’ but… well, they’ve got some damn good mouth-feel. It’s just true.

Roasted garlic- amazing. Bursts of fresh, sweet pomegranate- love it. Rich, nutty pinenuts- so good. The end result is a quick, simple and delicious appetizer that looks just as festive as it tastes.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slough off the bulk of the papery skin from a whole head of garlic. Using a sharp knife, cut off the top ¼ inch of the garlic bulb. Pour approximately 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the top of the garlic bulb. Wrap bulb in aluminium foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove from oven and, when cool enough to handle, gently remove all the roasted garlic cloves from the head.

In a food processor, combine Cannellini beans, roasted garlic cloves, lemon juice, thyme, salt and pepper until smooth. While the machine is still running, slowly drizzle in the remaining olive oil.

To make the crostinis, toast sliced bread. Spread a generous amount of bean dip on to each toasted slice and sprinkle generously with pomegranate seeds, toasted pine nuts and a light sprinkle of fresh parsley.